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Del Close

1934-1999 · Chicago, IL

Also known as Delmar Close

Creator of the Harold and the most influential improv theorist of the 20th century — mentor to Belushi, Murray, Fey, Poehler, Colbert, Farley, Myers, and a generation of UCB founders.

Known for

Co-founded iO (ImprovOlympic) with Charna Halpern in 1981.
Developed the Harold long-form format in the 1960s-70s, refined at iO in the 1980s.
Directed Second City from 1972 to 1983; was fired earlier (1965) for substance abuse.
Co-authored Truth in Comedy (1994) with Charna Halpern and Kim 'Howard' Johnson — the first book to codify longform.
House director of The Committee in San Francisco during the late 1960s.
Willed his skull to the Goodman Theatre to 'play Yorick' in Hamlet.

Connected to

People

Charna Halpern Viola Spolin Paul Sills Kim "Howard" Johnson

Schools & Theaters

The Second City (Chicago)iO Theater (ImprovOlympic)

Troupes

The Committee The Compass Players

Forms

The Harold The Deconstruction

Concepts

truth in comedyGame of the Scene Group Mind

Notes

Close’s personal life was famously chaotic — heroin, LSD, Discordianism, comic-book writing for DC. But his teaching-lineage is the spine of the wiki: almost every major US improviser from 1980 onward either trained with him directly or with someone he trained. The Harold is arguably the single most influential improv format ever created.

Sources

Referenced by

People

Concepts

Agreement Base Reality Follow the Fear Game of the Scene Group Mind Justification Make Your Partner Look Good The Chicago School (Close/Halpern Lineage)The Organic School (TJ & Dave, Late Del)Third-Person Narration Treat Your Partner as a Poet, Genius, Artist Yes, And

Games

Beat Building Invocation Pattern Game

Festivals

Del Close Marathon Harold Night

Schools & Theaters

iO Theater (Chicago)iO Theater (ImprovOlympic)iO West The Compass Players The Second City (Chicago)Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre

Forms

Organic Form The Armando Diaz Experience, Theatrical Movement and Hootenanny The Deconstruction The Harold The Invocation The Movie The Pattern Game

Troupes

The Armando Diaz Experience, Theatrical Movement and Hootenanny The Committee The Compass Players The Family TJ and Dave Upright Citizens Brigade (Original Four)

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